Massimo DiDonna Honored for his Strong Business Sense
What started as a hobby in high school has turned into much more for Massimo DiDonna.
As a teen in the mid-1990s, DiDonna had a passion for music and decided he wanted to try and make some money while doing something he loved. That’s when he approached Anthony Gerardi, who had an established DJ business on Staten Island. He inquired about joining his company as a DJ and Gerardi accepted the offer.
Although DiDonna kept working in that field for years, he just always thought that job would be a pit stop before working on Wall Street or taking a city job. After all, he thought, most kids who work as a DJ in high school or college eventually move on to other sources of income once they become older.
It wasn’t until 2001 when the Prince’s Bay resident realized that perhaps he could turn this passion into his full-time job.
“At that point, I realized this was going to become my job, and I had to take it more seriously,” said DiDonna.
That thought process plus the creative judgment to look toward others for collaboration became the stepping stone for Partners in Sound Entertainment Group to eventually morph into the current highly-successful business specializing in entertainment, production, lighting, and full-service planning and design.
To celebrate his accomplishments, DiDonna is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Leadership Award, which he will receive in the Established Businessperson category. The awards -- sponsored by M&T Bank and presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance -- honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader.
The first big move came in 2003 when they merged with Michael Gregorio of Premier Party Networks. Another major decision for the trio was creating a new company, Platinum Entertainment, to handle all weddings while leaving Partners in Sound available to handle all other affairs.
As Partners in Sound thrived, a relationship began with Frank Provenzano from Pro Sho, a full-service production company. As an astute businessman, DiDonna had the foresight to recognize the benefits each company could share with each other so collaboration seemed like a natural fit.
“While he was building his business on the corporate side, we were building our business on the social side. As this continued to grow, we developed a large name in the wedding business while keeping a tremendous hold on the Sweet 16 market,” said DiDonna. “While this continued to grow, our relationship with Pro Sho came together organically in the last couple of years by doing large events together.”
Due to this blossoming alliance, today Partners in Sound is a major entertainment company that handles almost 3,000 events annually. The company – which employs over 100 people -- franchised a few years ago and now boasts offices in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Central New Jersey, Long Island, and Orlando, Florida.
“Massimo has grown from DJing events to operating his growing business from a management perspective, to acquiring and merging with other companies in order to continue growing his business,” said James Thomson, of the West Brighton law firm Scamardella, Gervasi, Thomson & Kasegrandeat, who nominated DiDonna for the Louis Miller award.
The success of the company has allowed DiDonna to turn some of his attention to the President of the Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund, which is named in honor of the firefighter with Rescue Co. 5 in Concord who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001 during the attacks on the World Trade Center. The fund aids Islanders in need such as helping families recover from a house fire, assisting residents affected from Hurricane Sandy, providing toys to needy families around the holidays, and contributing funding for a youth sports league.
DiDonna’s loyalty has always been on display. Through the years, he has given workers the opportunity to partner into Partners in Sound, and he has employed teens to begin as dancers or DJs to work themselves up and learn about the company and the business world.
“Many of Massimo's former employees have gone on to become successful business owners. He shares his experiences with his fellow Executive Club members and anyone else who asks for his assistance,” said Thomson.
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Recipients of the Louis R. Miller Awards are recognized as effective business leaders, and for their outstanding contributions to the local community. Awards are given out in four categories: Emerging, Established, Master, and Not-For-Profit. The honorees will be recognized during the annual Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn. For tickets, visit www.sichamber.com or call the Chamber at 718-727-1900.
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Below, DiDonna shares more about his goals, job, and life:
Community involvement: Chairman and President of the Carl V Bini Memorial Fund. Board member for Michael’s Cause. Board Member of The Executive Club.
Some of my life goals include: Full time philanthropy.
The best part of my job: Taking a client’s vision to a reality within budget.
The most difficult part of my job: Micromanaging our business and balancing between home and work.
I am most proud of: Partners in Sound Entertainment Group, The Bini Fund, and my family.
Something that no one knows about me: I worry about things that are out of my control.
The quality I like best about myself: I’m funny, brutally honest, and I would give you the shirt off my back.
Personal interests and hobbies: Playing ice hockey. Emceeing at clubs.
I am really good at: Mitigating problems. Keeping calm in a crisis.
I admire: First Responders and anyone who’s willing to put their life on the line for others.
I laugh at: Anything and everything.
Some important things I would like you to know about me: I never forgot where I came from. I’m extremely proud of my heritage. I truly have the best parents in the world.